Jane Kennedy given heave-ho

Jane Kennedy is one of the more stable Labour Party MPs. By that I mean she does not court controversy or the plotter's crown. She was a campaigner against Militant Tendency. She has been a minister without undue problems occurring. However, she has been unable to give 'Assurance of support' to Gordon Brown. He has let her go. She said today, "I wasn't able to give the prime minister the assurance of support that he wanted. No one I have spoken to over the last week has told me to support him." The grim reality becomes ever more stark.

Labour MP Sally Keeble also says she is withdrawing her support for Mr Brown. In a letter to her constituents the Northampton North MP said, "When Gordon said in the autumn of 2007 he wanted more time to put forward his vision, that seemed fair. However 18 months on, it is painfully clear that time has really run out." Time has run out.

Gordon Brown is a prime minister who cannot blame the recession on the previous chancellor, because that person was himself. So he is damned on two counts. His political vision has not materialised and his profligacy as chancellor has come back to haunt him. It could also be said that his dithering fuels his temper tantrums which in turn feeds his dithering.

He's in a vicious circle. Perhaps tonight's Parliamentary Labour Party meeting can put him out of his dilemma?

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James Purnell jumps ship!

James Purnell has stepped down from the cabinet and told Prime Minister Gordon Brown to "stand aside". Bold talk. It is get less than the 50/50 that Michael Crick talked about in Newnight last night.

In a letter to the Sun and the Times, James purnell, who is the work and pensions secretary, said he was not seeking the leadership but wanted to trigger a debate. He is not "leadership material" (a term I've been told not to use, but it suits the purpose here). Purnell is the third cabinet member to announce they are standing down in the past few days.

It's becoming very much more like Ten Green Bottles than it is Don't Rock The Boat!

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Jacqui Smith to spend more time with her DVDs!

Having claimed expenses on bizarre items, fallen foul of the housing rules by living in her sister's house, the hapless Home Secretary has decided to go before the Presbyterian Conscience is tweaked again.

She has been a disaster as a minister. Mishap following mishap. Harriet Harman, now residing in Fantasyland's finest gated community, says, "I think she is an outstanding home secretary." Umm! Gordon Brown is reshuffling the Cabinet a bit like the deckchairs on the Titanic. Apparently, we've got more of the same for another whole year. Ben Wallace, a Conservative MP, says, "What I think is amazing is the total collapse of management of government, the fact that some people are jumping ship without even informing the prime minister, it seems." Jumping ship indeed! Why should we all be left on board without adequate lifeboats?

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